Despite criticism from the Guard and the governors, senior Air Force officials say they did, in fact, consult, and made the case for eliminating older aircraft and shifting assets to make units more efficient. Jumper told the commissioners, “We don’t consider disagreements with a few adjutant generals out there in the states as a rift between the Air Force and the National Guard.”
House lawmakers are encouraging the Air Force and U.S. Special Operations Command to work together as each pursues long-range, long-endurance reconnaissance drones. Both entities are investing in unmanned assets that can slip into highly defended areas, loiter over a particularly valuable target for days at a time, and traverse multiple…